Asskjnor to a



W. F. REACH.

SKEE HARNESS.

APPLICATION FILED IuLYIo, |918. IIENEWED APR. 2. I9I9.

LSQSZO. Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

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WILLIAM F. REACH, 0F CHICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR TO G. SPALDING @c BROS., OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SKEE-HARNESS.

Specification of Letters Patenti vPatented Nov. 25, 1919.

Application led Ju1y'10, 1918, Serial No. 244,276. Renewed April 2, 1919. Serial No. 287,075.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. REACH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicopee, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skee- Harness, of which the following is a speciication.

The invention consists of the features and combination of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view ofthe harness.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal elevation.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, with the skee in section.

Fig. 4 is a detail bottom plan view of the forward portion of the harness, and,

Fig. 5 1s a similar view of a modification.

In the drawing 1 is a plate having downturned sides 2 with ears 3 having openings 4 to receive bolts or pins for securing the plate to the skee, the down-turned sides being spaced apart a proper distance to embrace the skee between them. This plate above the plane of the top of the main part thereof. To this forward extension the toe clamps 6 are` adjustably attached by bolts 7 passing through the slots 8, which extend in a direction transversely of the extension, said slots being in line with each other. The toe clamps are formed from pieces of flat metal having theirv forwardly extendin arms 6 mounted on the bolts and clampe by the heads of the bolts bearing against their under sides and pressing them up against the underside of the elevated extension of the main plate. The clamps are guided through slots 9 in the sides of the main plate and their upturned ends are arranged at an inclination to the longitudinal axis of the harnessv and are convergent'toward the front .to suit the shape of the foot and their upper ends are slightly inturned.

In adjusting the'clampsthe nuts 10, which clamp the bolts in place, are loosened and the clamps are shifted laterally to the desired positions and the bolts are then tightened up. f

It will be observed that by the use of the forward extension of the main plate and the angular form of the clamps with their arms extending forward the oints at which the said clamps are adjusta ly secured are at the extreme front of the harness plate extension and. at a point well in advance of the y clamping wings 6, and well in advance of the point where the ball of the shoe bears. These means of adjustment are thus readily accessible instead of being borne upon or covered by the shoe and it is not necessary to remove thefoot -in orderto adjust the clamps, but on the contrary the user may keep his foot in place and quickly and accurately adjust the clamps thereto, and furthermore the wearer will not suffer discomfort by reason of resting on the projectinnuts of the bolts. l he forwardly extending clamp arms are bent intermediate of their length at 11 and the shoulders thus afforded are adjacent the shoulder of the plate at 12. A

The strain on the clamps tending to press them apart is resisted in part by the wall of the slots through which they pass and this tendency of the clamp to turn about the bolts as a pivot point is overcome and the shoulders just mentioned can contribute to this end.

Heavy webbing shown at 13 is riveted to the main plate at a point just in rear of the shoulder afforded by the elevated front extension of. the plate this webbing from this point extendin loosely over the plate, and in rear thereo to a point under the instep, where it terminates and is provide'd with a cross piece 14 consisting of a metal piece ofl channel form embracing the end of thel webbing and riveted thereto at 15. The ends of this cross piece project laterally beyond the side edges of the webbing and are provided with notches 16 to receive the heel fastening. This consists of a strap to pass around the heel to hold the foot forward in place between the clamps. One end of the strap may be permanently held in place by a part of the buckle 17 engaging one of the notches which may be closed sufficiently to hold the buckle by pressing' the extreme end of the cross piece inwardly toward the lon- 106 gitudinal axis of the harness to grip the buckle and retain. it.

The other end of the strap is provided with a toggle arrangement detachably connected with the cross piece. This toggle clamp includes a link 18 to removably engage the notch in the cross bar, a lever 19 pivotally connected at a point 20 interme- The straining lever when thus turned throws the pivot lpoint of the links -out of line, so that the greater the strain the tighter the lever will be held in locked position.

In removing the harness the straining lever is thrown forwardly and the increased len l1 afforded by thus throwing the links wi e apart is sufiicient to allow the llnk 18 to be readily slipped out of the notch in the cross piece, and the back strap does not have to be dragged off from the back of the foot, but gives a 'free release thereto.

Instead of employing a separate bolt for each clamp I may employ the construction shown in Fig. 5 in which both of the forwardly extending arms of the clamps are held by a single bolt 22, a slot 23 extending in the longitudinal direction ofthe harness.

This means of adjustment, like that firstdescribed, is carried on a forward extension of the main plate, where it is removed from under the ball of the foot and is in position to be readily accessible, while the foot is in place between the clamps. j

The clamps are provided with slots at 24 to receive a toe strap.

The flexible webbing and the strap attached to the rear terminal of the same forms a holding means for the foot which allows lateral play of the ankle and prevents twisting of the ankle in the case of accidents or falls. The arrangement of the clamps under the plate leaves the upper side free for the placing thereon and attachment thereto of the webbing.

Itv will be seen that the vback strap is in the same horizontal plane with the webbing. As shown in Fig. 2, the back strap has its center line directly in line with the centerline of the webbing and when the parts are strained there is no tendency to tip the connection by the pull 'from the back strap which is directly in line with the ,center of the thickness of the webbing.

What I claim is:

1. A skee harness comprising a front plate, with means for attaching the same to the skee, clamping members movably mounted on the plate and having arms extending forward from the clamping ints, means at the forward ends of the sai arms for adj ustably securing the same to the plate, and a guiding connection between the plate and r said members by which the rear portions of said members are slidable on the plate, substantially as described.

2. A skee harness comprising a front plate having down turned slotted sides,

with means for attaching the same to the skee, clamping members movably mounted on the plate, and having arms extending forward fromthe 'clamping points and means at the forward ends of the said arms for ladjustably securing the same to the plate, said forwardly extending arms underlyingthe said plate, said clamp members havin their rear portions extending laterally t ough the, slots of the downturned sides, substantially as described.

3. A skee harness comprising a front plate having downturned slotted sides, with means for attaching the plate to the skee, clamping members movably mounted on the plate and through saidA slots, and having arms extending forward from the clamping points and means at the forward ends of the said arms. for adjustably securing the same to the plate, said arms underlying the plate, and webbing overlying the plate and attached thereto, substantially as described.

4. A skee harness consisting of a plate having downturned sides with slots therein,

' and wlth means for securing the plate to the skee, said plate having a forward extension raised above the plane of the main body of the plate, clamps guided through the slots of the lates sides, and having arms extending orwardly beneath the plate and its extension and having their forward ends elevated to lie close to the underside of the extension and means for adjustably connecting the front ends ofthe clamp arms with the forward extension of the plate, substantially as described.

5. Al skee harness comprising a front plate, a strap to pass around the heel, a permanent but adjustable connection for one end of the strap, a detachable connection for the other end of the strap comprising a member to hook into place and a toggle lever connected to said member to take up the slack in the strap, substantially as described.

6. A skee harness Ycomprising a front plate, clamping means, a flexible connection secured to the plate, a channeled cross bar embracing and secured to the flexible connection, said cross bar hav-ing a notch at one end and a strap attached to the otherl end of the bar and 'having means to remov ably engage the notch substantially as described.

7. A skee harness comprising a flexible member connected at its forward end to the skee, a cross bar of channel shape'jn cross section embracing and secured to the rear end of the flexible member and arranged with the -center of its height in line with the center of the flexible member, and a strap detachably connectedy to the cross bar and adapted to pass around the back of the heel, substantially as described.

8. A skee harness comprising a flexible member connecte-d at its forward part to the skee, a cross bar attached to the rea-r end of the flexible member and having a hook at V011e end and a strap attached t0 one end of the cross bar and having its other end detachably connected with the hook, substantially as described.

9. A skee harness comprising a flexible member, connected at its forward part to the skee, a channeled cross bar attached to the rear edge of the flexible member and the end 'of having a projecting end with an open notch in its forward edge, a strap having means connecting withthe other notched end of the cross bar and permanently retained in said notch, and means for detachably connecting the free end of the strap with the open notched end of the cross bar, substantially as described.

10. A skee harness comprising a flexible member attachable at its front end to the skee and a back strap attached to the flexible member and arranged with the center of its height in line with. the center of the thickness of the flexible member.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

WILLIAM F. REACH. 

